NHL 100 Classic: How to watch, stream the Senators vs. Canadiens outdoor game

Saturday's showdown will serve as a rematch of one of the NHL's first-ever regular season games

As the holidays approach in the NHL, so, too, do the league's slew of special showdowns, including New York's Winter Classic on New Year's Day and the Stadium Series bout at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis.

On tap first, however, is the NHL 100 Classic, a celebration of the league's centennial season (and Canada's sesquicentennial year) at Ottawa's Lansdowne Park, home to the TD Place Stadium used by the Canadian Football League and United Soccer League.

Here's everything you need to know about Saturday's special matchup:

What is the NHL 100 Classic?

Good question. It's not totally unlike the NHL's other outdoor events in that, well, it pits two teams against each other in open air. In this case, the Ottawa Senators will play semi-host to the Montreal Canadiens, who are outdoor regulars thanks to 2016 appearances in the Heritage Classic, Winter Classic and Stadium Series. Instead of simply playing outdoors for the sake of playing outdoors, though, the NHL 100 Classic is also meant to honor the league's 100-year history, giving Ottawa its first-ever outdoor appearance and re-matching one of the NHL's very first regular season games.

The NHL
NHL

The game will be played just under a month after the actual date of the NHL's 100-year anniversary, starting at 7 p.m. Eastern on Saturday. Before and after the showdown, Ottawa is also set to host Stanley Cup viewings and other celebratory events.

How to watch, stream

Who will win?

Neither team has exactly lived up to preseason expectations. The Canadiens have floundered out of the gate behind an unusually ineffective Carey Price and the Senators, post-Kyle Turris trade, have fallen off a cliff despite a hot start. Claude Julien has the Habs on an upswing in recent weeks, though, and Montreal is fresh off a tight victory over the New Jersey Devils, now 6-2-2 in their last 10 games. The Senators aren't nearly as promising as of late with just two wins in their own last 10 matchups and defeats at the hands of lowly clubs like Buffalo. A 3-2 win over the New York Rangers this week staved off daunting talk of Guy Boucher's future, not to mention the team's future ownership, but the Canadiens have to be favored, if ever so slightly.

CBS Sports HQ Daily Newsletter

Get the best highlights and stories - yeah, just the good stuff handpicked by our team to start your day.